Doctor blade and drive for rotary printing press



19 Sheets-Sheet 1 T W i c. L. HORNBERGER' ETAL DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS July 23, 1963 Filed Aug. 29. 1961 nTi n $4M. f {A /wad d Y Y M ATTYS.

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DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FoR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29. 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSI July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBE'RGER ETAL DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 19 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fibad Aug. 29, 1961 64mm X 540M J INVENTORSZ Y/f2;

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DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 INVENTORS M I 0014 AT TYS.

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DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29. 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGQ- INVEN'I'QRS July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER ETAL 3, 3

DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS l9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER ETAL 3,

DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29. 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS IQYIII ATTXS July 23., 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER ETAL 3,

DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet'8 551. n& i=1

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DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 10 FIG, 20.

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DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet l3 INVENTORSI FIG. 38.

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nocwoa BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 FIG.43. FIG.4.4.

DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 I July '23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER ETAL 19 Sheets-Sheet 1'7 INVENTORS 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 IIIIIL C. L. HORNBERGER ETAL MK ag/M July 23, 1963 DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29. 1961 July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER ETAL 3,098,433

DOCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS l9 Sheets-Sheet 19 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 3-, 93,433 Patented July 23, 1963 are 3,098,433 DQCTOR BLADE AND DRIVE Milt RGTARY PRDJTING PRESS Clarence L. Hornherger and Edward W. Stanley, Lancaster, Pa, assignors to Armstrong Cork Company,

Lancaster, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 134,684 6 Claims. (Cl. 101-157) The present invention relates broadly to rotary printing and more particularly to a rotary printing press and system adapted to manufacture gravure-printed floor coverings or the like.

More specifically, the present invention relates to oil-set gravure printing of a rotary character having extremely high operating features, high quality of end product produced, and providing for optimum working conditions.

It has been found that when printing designs on felt rug bases and the like, and which design necessitates a plurality of colors in ink, oft-set gravure printing results in favorable working conditions and optimum quality in the end product. While flat bed and/r direct gravure presses have heretofore been utilized, certain limitations as to the design which could be printed or undesirable operating characteristics of the machine have been inherent therein.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a rotary press of an oil-set gravure type for printing of designs in ink on felt base to produce a printed rug which overcomes the drawbacks and unsatisfactory characteristics of previously known devices.

The principle involved in use of a press of the character of the present invention involves depositing various colored inks in proper position on a continuously moving web by rotating cylinders. Considered broadly, three such rotating cylinders are involved in placing any one color, and when properly assembled with relationship to a driving means and a means of transporting the web through an ink drying area, they constitute one stand of the over-all press and press system. As contemplated by the present invention, the entire press can consist of a plurality such as five of these printing stands spaced from one another along a continuous line. Another principal object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and a system such that removal and/ or replacement of various of these cylinders can be effected easily and quickly with a minimum of effort, and with a minimum possibility of damage to the rolls. As will appear hereinafter only two of the rolls in any one stand need be changed for such purposes as change of design to be printed and/ or damage or wear of the rolls. The construction and arrangement of the present invention is such that these two rolls namely, the oil-set and engraved cylinders in any stand of the press can be removed vertically from the machine by means of a single overhead crane and removed to a cylinder cleaning station and rack removed from the work area or space. This is possible due to the arrangement and mounting of the rolls. This arrangement and mode of operation negate the necessity of moving the rolls laterally out from the stand for placement on dollies or the like with a possibility of damage to the rolls and to operating personnel while at the same time greatly decreasing the time required for such a change-over.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide in a rotary off-set gravure printing press a mounting and arrangement of the rolls such that any individual stand in the press may be rendered inactive by movement of solely the off-set cylinder or roll to inoperative position without in any way affecting the tension on the web so that proper registry is maintained at all times due to a constant tension on the web even with one of the stands in inoperative condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in such a press an arrangement of the cylinders or rolls such that the oil-set cylinder can be easily and readily replaced by a ilexographic roll and permit a flexographic printing for certain types of designs and/ or over-printed borders.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in such a press a mounting and control of the offset cylinder such that it can, in any desired stand, be selectively raised or lowered to inactive and active positions and so timed with the remainder of the over-all press as to eifect a skip printing which is particularly suitable for cross border printing, and such operation will not affect in anyway the operation of the remainder of the press.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide in a press of the character described, a novel doctor blade holder susceptible of so mounting and being driven as to be substantially trouble free, susceptible of easy mounting and operation, and removal vertically from a stand of the press.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide in a press system of the character described, an arrangement whereby the web to be printed is so disposed and led through the apparatus as to provide easy access to the mechanism and permit removal of the ofi-set and engraved cylinders as also the doctor blade and holder from overhead without interfering with the web, and additionally permits maintaining tension on the web with the off-set cylinder raised to inoperative position or removed for replacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a press in which the off-set cylinder can be moved to inoperative position without affecting the position of the impression or engraved cylinders while maintaining constant rotation of the off-set cylinder so as to maintain proper registry of the various cylinders.

A further object of the present invention is to provide in a printing press arrangement mounting and interconnecting drive means permitting of adjustment of the rolls for proper pressure relationships and registry.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are complementary schematic elevational views illustrating the subject invention in a typical plant installation embodying a multi-unit press set-up;

PEG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view as viewed from line 22 FIGS. 1a and 112 respectively illustrating the drive arrangement between the various components;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section as viewed from line 33 of FIG. 1a, of the transport system for facilitating press cylinder changes and servicing;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary end and side elevations of a press cylinder and associated bearing in course of transit;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 66 of FIG. 2, of the infeed tension stand;

FIG. 6a is a similar view on line 6a--6o of the outfeed tension stand;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing details common to both infeed and outfeed stands;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of one of the press units with associated dryer section;

FIGS. 9a and 9b are complementary front elevational views of the press unit;

FIG. 10 is a vertical elevation through the press and associated dryer section as viewed from line 1010, FIG. 9a; 

1. A DOCTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY AND DRIVE FOR A ROTARY PRINTING PRESS COMPRISING SUPPORT PLATES MOUNTABLE ON THE SIDE FRAMES OF A PRESS, A MAIN AXIS JOURNALLED IN SAID SUPPORT PLATES FOR ROTATION AND AXIAL MOVEMENT, HOLDER SUPPORTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED BY AND ON SAID MAIN AXIS IN PROXIMITY TO SAID SUPPORT PLATES, A RIGID SELF-SUPPORTING TUBE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HOLDER SUPPORTS AND REMOVABLY AND ADJUSTABLY SUPPORTED SOLELY AT ITS %ND THEREBY, A BLADE SUPPORT SHELF SECURED TO SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE, SAID SECURED PROXIMATE THE ENDS OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE, SAID SHELF AND SAID LIFTING MEANS CONSTITUTING UNITARY RIGID SELF-SUPPORTING REMOVABLE BLADE HOLDER ASSEMBLY TO MOUNT A DOCTOR BLADE THEREON, A CRANK MEMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID HOLDER PLATES ADAPTED FOR ROTATION THEREOF ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID MAIN AXIS, ROTATION OF SAID HOLDER SUPPORTS BY SAID CRANK MEMBER MOVING SAID BLADE INTO OR OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ENGRAVED CYLINDER IN SAID PRESS, SAID BLADE HOLDER ASSEMBLY CONSTITUTING A SOLE REMOVABLE SUPPORT FOR THE DOCTOR BLADE. 